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College-aged students and recent grads can find plenty of amusement in the windy city. By day or by night, Chicago offers an array of activities for its youth culture. Whether your idea of a good time is relaxed people-watching at the center of a college campus, or a rowdy immersion in Chicago's late night entertainments, there's plenty to keep an 18- to 25-year-old traveler amused, 24 hours a day.

Check Out College Life

While visiting Chicago, take a look around the city's various colleges and universities for educational and entertainment events. The University of Chicago campus, located in the Hyde Park neighborhood, is composed of many gothic-style buildings, arranged into quadrangles. Spend an afternoon relaxing on one of the campus' many greens or stroll around bookshops or coffee shops adjacent to the campus. If your passions lie in the arts, check out exhibitions and events at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, in the heart of the city.

Take in the Blues

Chicago is home to plenty of blues joints, where you can hear classics as well as cutting-edge jazz and blues performers. With the city's varied offerings, you can select a venue in your favorite neighborhood, with a crowd to match your sensibilities. Buddy Guy's Legends is a reliable crowd-pleaser, located close to downtown and offering blues programming every night of the week. For visitors under 21, there are plenty of underage shows during the day. For music lovers 21 and older, there's Blue Chicago, not far from Chicago's Magnificent Mile.

Yuk it Up

If Chicago brings to mind comedy legends like John Belushi or Bill Murray, pay a visit to the Second City, the comedy venue and school where many nationally-known comedians had their beginnings. Typically, Second City runs nightly shows with two or three shows on weekends. Make a night of it by arranging for dinner and a show, via Second City, to dine at one of the nearby restaurants and see the show at a reduced rate.

Explore the Nightlife

While younger visitors to Chicago may flock to the same sights as would any tourists, by day, it's at night time that the young will really explore. In addition to the traditional blues halls and comedy clubs, Chicago's nightlife includes a few throwbacks to the days of speakeasies. The Green Mill is a Chicago institution with a colorful background. During the '20s, Al Capone's henchman "Machinegun" Jack McGurn had a 25 percent share of the place. Restored in the '80s to re-create its 1920's vibe, nowadays the Green Mill offers cocktails, musical acts and poetry slams. For a more contemporary scene, consider the Empty Bottle, a rock and indie music venue with plenty of all ages acts.

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About the Author

Danielle Hill has been writing, editing and translating since 2005. She has contributed to "Globe Pequot" Barcelona travel guide, "Gulfshore Business Magazine," "Connecting Lines: New Poetry from Mexico" and "The Barcelona Review." She has trained in neuro-linguistic programming and holds a Bachelor of Arts in comparative literature and literary translation from Brown University.